Past Limits
by Seth1741
Summary: When A mission pushes Kakashi past his limits, will Iruka's love be enough to pull him back from over the edge?
1. Chapter 1

Genre: Romance

Characters: Kakashi x Iruka

Rating: M (for later chapters)

Comments/ Summary: A mission pushes Kakashi past his limits, will Iruka's love be enough to pull him back.

WARNING: boy x boy

Disclaimer: I do not own in any way these character nor do I profit from these fleeting fancies. All rights belong to the original creator and whomever else the law says.

** Past Limits**

The academy teacher had been sitting alone in the cherry tree grove, just outside the high walls of Konoha, since early afternoon. Now the rays of the setting sun dyed the small clearing deep shades of red and orange, so bright that it burned through his closed eyelids, lighting the darkness of his meditation. A cool evening breeze swept through his hair, let loose from its usual tie to hang down just past his shoulders, dark and unruly. The young shinobi sat crossed-legged against one of the older trees in the grove, tanned hands resting on his knees, head resting against the tree, just comfortable enough for meditation but not enough that his weary body would slip off into sleep. Carefully laid out within easy reach were his kunai holster and hip pouch, his chuunin vest hung on a low branch because even so close to the village one could never be too careful, and any ninja that wanted to live a decently long life couldn't help but have a healthy dose of paranoia. Even though the man was the picture of tranquil meditation, inside he was complete turmoil.

Worry overrode every thought and emotion the young teacher had, anxiety that this would be the time that his lover would not return, and fear that something had gone terribly wrong on the long overdo mission. So overdo, in fact, that rumors of him being declared a missing nin were spreading through the village, rumors the young shinobi adamantly denied, no one was more dedicated and faithful to the village than his lover was. Another rumor spread through the village as people started to notice how long had passed, a rumor he just as adamantly denied when it reached his ears, that the great Copy Nin of Konoha had finally been beaten and there would be no homecoming from this mission. But for all of his denial of this rumor, he could not help but hear the whispers and wonder if maybe they were right; for no ninja no matter how strong or how legendary was perfect or immortal.

And so he had begun to work, tutoring students after class, taking extra shifts at the mission desk, anything that would keep his mind busy. He worked himself until he could barely drag his weary body to his empty lonely home and collapse into his equally lonely bed. He kept his mind so weary from work that when he slept it was a dreamless void, no nightmares of a dead lover. It wasn't as if he wasn't used to long absences and worried nights, after all when one was dating Sharingan Hatake Kakashi, one had to get used to the fact that the village would use him as he was needed which was often and almost always for the most dangerous and most sensitive of missions. But it was bad when other shinobi, besides those closest to Kakashi, started to take notice of his long absence, and worse yet when common villagers noted the reclusive man's disappearance.

Iruka opened his eyes and watched as a lazy breeze carried small pink blossoms around him: this just wasn't working. He knew that he never should have turned down that shift at the mission desk, but Sandaime-sama had really wanted him to take an afternoon off to try to relax a bit. He closed his eyes, once more determined to take one more shot at the mediation technique Mizuki had taught him.

It hit him suddenly, right when he was finally getting into the exercise, a wave of raw wild violent intent emanating from north of the grove. It was difficult to keep from immediately grabbing his nearest weapon but he knew he needed to remain calm and work out a plan before the strange shinobi reached where he was. Whoever it was, was powerful; it was obvious from the chakra pattern but the ninja had no more control then one of Iruka's students. The lack of control only put Iruka more on edge, it made this stranger unpredictable and thus more dangerous. There was a nagging familiarity to the chakra signature, but no one he knew would ever let their intent run so wild. He wasn't far from Konoha, he needed to get back and alert the guards. Calmly, as if nothing was going on, he got up and gathered his things, concealing his chakra so if he hadn't already been detected he might avoid it. This stranger was more powerful than he thought he could face. Just as he was turning to go, a flash of white and red from the edge of the grove caught his eye and a nauseating wave of intent rolled over him again, he had been spotted. It took every bit of his training to act as if he hadn't noticed the other ninja. Iruka strained to see who his potential attacker was, but all he could make out through the trees was a red and white mask, a mask that made his heart stop for a second. He easily recognized the ANBU mask of the Hound, the very mask his lover wore. Walking through the grove towards Konoha, the young sensei tried not to think the worst: it couldn't possible have been Kakashi's mask, it must be a trick of some kind. Movement brought him out of his thoughts, a flash of that mask again and a shock of silver hair stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Kakashi," the whispered word slipped from his lips unbidden. He took a step forward towards the other ninja before flares of wild blue chakra stopped him again. " Kakashi, it's you, isn't it?"

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

-1

Silence, thick and heavy, hung between the two; Iruka was sure he was right and waited for the confirmation to come. What he got instead was completely unexpected, a sudden flurry of white, black and red rushed towards him barely giving him time to dodge the attack. This was bad, the younger man thought as he made a break for the tree line, barely avoiding a shower of shuriken as he leapt to the nearest branch. Throwing a volley of shuriken he desperately hoped wouldn't hit, Iruka knew he needed to make it back to the village. The truth was he couldn't hold back if Kakashi caught up to him: he would have to fight. Sending more Chakra to his feet, Iruka leapt through the trees trying to lose the other shinobi, but he sensed the gap between them closing and that wild intent suffocating him again. It hit him suddenly that he had to stop Kakashi now; if he lead him back to the village the chances of him being injured or killed were too high. Throwing a kunai with an explosive tag attached to it, Iruka hoped to slow his lover down. He dropped to the forest floor just as the tag exploded behind him. Throat tightening in fear for Kakashi, the sensei forced himself to push it aside; he was a shinobi first and a lover second, and right now Kakashi had to be stopped. Using some trip wire, the sensei set a web before him just as the Hound came through the smoke. A kunai flashed as the web was cut, only slowing the Copy-nin down minutely but giving Iruka enough time to brace himself for the attack. His opponent's kunai went straight for his throat; bringing up his own weapon to block, Iruka used chakra to push himself away before rushing back with his own attack. Sweeping in a low kick that was easily eluded, Iruka managed a slice across the bone-white vest before his adversary caught his arm. Emitting a low untamed growl, Kakashi twisted the caught arm close to the point of breaking. Iruka reacted quickly, grabbing his lover's shoulder, hooking a leg behind his knee, and bringing him them down to the ground shocking the other man enough to cause him to let go. It was then, looking down at his lover, that the sensei got his first look through the hollowed eyes of the mask. True fear griped him when he saw the feral look in the Copy-nin's eye and the bruising and half-healed wound that covered the visible skin. "Kakashi, stop this, don't you recognize me?" Before he could react, Iruka found himself on his back. His hands were pinned to rocks, wood dug into his back, and cold steel was pressed to his throat, " Please, Kashi, come back with me." He resisted the urge to struggle hoping that his voice would bring some recognition back to the single blue eye. "It's me, Ruka, come back Kashi, it's ok now." The press of the weapon at his throat lessened and his lover blinked owlishly at him before the weapon was pulled away completely. "Ruka?" The hands pinning him released and the silver-haired man moved away, allowing the chunnin to sit up. Iruka put tentative arms around his lover's stiff form. "It's all right Kashi; everything will be fine." The soothing words helped to relax the silver haired nin, he never felt the blow to his pressure point before he blacked out.


End file.
